Local Food Featured at June 6 LAUNCH|Talk

Don’t miss SOREDI’s LAUNCH|Talk on June 6: Cultivating a High Growth Food & Beverage Business.

In addition to expert panelists, Tom Marks-Ladd, Founder of Rogue Natural Foods; Stefan Schachter, Founder and President of ECOTEAS; Elizabeth Fujas, Founder and CEO of Rising Sun Farms; and Kelly McNamara, Specialty Gourmet Food Manager of Ashland Food Co-op, you’ll get to sample the wares of some of our region’s own excellent food producers. For your $10 ticket, you will enjoy:

• A selection of wines from Urban Cork in Medford: Urban Cork proudly serves over 120 wines from across the state of Oregon. At their tasting room in downtown Medford, they offer a new, different tasting flight every two days. In addition, Linda Donovan also operates Pallet Wine Company, a bottling operation that assists many local wine makers with the logistics of getting their products to market.  Urban Cork and Pallet Wine Company capture the entrepreneurial spirit of the Southern Oregon wine region.

• Beer from Caldera Brewing: A local favorite, located in Ashland, Caldera is dedicated to producing ales, lagers, sodas and cuisine of uncompromising quality. In 2005, Caldera became the first craft brewery on the West Coast to brew and can its own beer, helping to start a canning revolution. Today, nine of Caldera’s most popular beers are available in cans year round and two seasonals, with several more currently available in 12 oz and 22 oz bottles.

• Hummus from TonTon’s Artisan Affections: Specializing in fresh homemade hummus, vegan, grainless gluten-free cookies and chickpea snackers, TonTon began production in 2012 and quickly establish a reputation for high quality foods and ethical business practices, with a focus on regionally sourced, non-GMO foods. TonTon’s practices cooperative business principles in support of the local food system, helping established and new food entrepreneurs grow. TonTon’s is another local food producer that embodies the cooperative, entrepreneurial culture of Southern Oregon.

• Cheese Sandwiches from Toasted Cheese: With names like, “Spicy Jammer,” “Turkey Swiss,” “Italian Pickle,” and “Fancy Classic,” who doesn’t love a toasted cheese sandwich? These favorites can be found weekly at the Rogue Valley Growers and Crafters Market on Thursdays in Hawthorne Park in Medford and at the Saturday MarketPlace at CraterWorks in Central Point.

• Chips and Salsa from Heavenly Fire Salsa: The heart and soul of Heavenly Fire Salsa originated in 1999 when the founder made some salsa during a family visit. Over time, sharing salsa with friends and family on occasions, led to the eventual creation of a company that now provides a unique tasting salsa at local markets and retail outlets for enjoyment with chips or inclusion in a variety of recipes.

We are delighted to share these local food producers with you at our upcoming LAUNCH|Talk. If you are a local food producer, we are confident that our expert panel will offer you inspiration as well as practical assistance. But, even if you are just a local food lover, come out and enjoy our region’s fare. Your presence and support offers additional encouragement to the variety of food manufacturers and distributors that spring from the abundance of Southern Oregon. Register now and bring along a friend who loves local food!